Is it better to lease a car or finance?

I really do want a new Honda Civic and would love to own one, but I want my payments to be lower since I have to pay my student loans on top of it.

I know when you lease there are restrictions like KM, and mods, but I do not really mod or drive that much at all.

Thing is I'm the type of person who changes their mind frequently, I know when you get into a car loan you are sort of stuck with it even if you trade it in unless you sell it.

Whereas when you lease if lets say you lease for 5 years and the 3rd year you don't really like the car you know that your lease will end in 2 years so you aren't really making any payments.

Only downfall is that I don't "own" the vehicle which is what people on Y/A rave about.

With a lease, at the end they take the car and charge you if you have damage or excess miles.
With buying, at the end of the loan you own the car, which will be worth thousands of dollars.

HOWEVER…

"… I'm the type of person who changes their mind frequently… "
-- Buy USED until you learn what you want out of a vehicle.

Leasing is renting. You pay every month with restrictions placed on your usage, just like a rental. When you return it you get nothing.

You are not the kind of person who should be leasing. Buy a good used car and forget leasing.

"… I'm the type of person who changes their mind frequently… "

Then, don't buy anything that costs as much as a car. Deal with your psychological issues that cause such poor behavior in yourself. Buying or leasing a car is a long term relationship, and you're clearly not ready for anything of the sort, be it with a person or a major expense.

Lease usually goes three years after its up you return the car. Finance if you can pay off that loan in three years you own the car. Do not finance a car more than four years. I have a cousin who for some god awful reason signed a 7 year loan on a new car now in 5 years of it and so many mechanical problems can't afford to repair it and still paying for it

I have actually run the math. I can PROMISE that if you lease a car, the buyout at the end of the lease will ALWAYS be more than the balance of a loan with the same payment at the same time.

The smartest thing to do is "buy" a car that is two years old! The major depreciation is over, it is still very likely under warranty and can be financed for two to three years. If you tire of it after two years, there's a better chance of having equity towards a trade in.
I honestly don't think the new car smell is worth 3 to 10 thousand dollars. Which is the amount of money lost often just at signing the paper work (lease or buy).

Sleep on it. Leasing is best for businesses who can use the cost as a tax deduction. At the end of the lease you don't own a car, but you paid for one. Get yourself a bus pass. If you must always have a car you feel in love with, go on and lease. That isn't what I would do personally. I rather buy a dependable car and take care of it for years and years and years. When it no longer serves me I buy another car. Your lease costs you higher insurance and registration.